Name Date - Burlington County Institute of Technology...Heather Whitestone was Miss America in 1995....

NameWednesday, October 28

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Lady LibertyBy Mary L. Bushong

When you see things from far away, it's hard to visualize how big they really are. Have youever stood close to the Statue of Liberty? If you have, you know how tall it is. If you havenot, maybe this will help.

There are three parts to the statue. The first is the base. It is the shape of a star with elevenpoints. It used to be old Fort Wood. On top of the base is the pedestal. If you were to standnext to the base, it would be 154 feet to the top of the pedestal.

How tall is that? If you live in an apartment building, it would be more than ten stories high.If you live in a single story house, it would be taller than seven of your houses stacked oneon top of another.

The statue itself is almost as tall as the base and the pedestal put together, 151'1". LadyLiberty's head by itself is 17'3". That is almost as high as a house! Her nose is 4'6" long, andher eyes are each 2'6" long. If you were to walk up the 192 steps inside the pedestal, youwould have to climb 142 more to reach the crown of the statue.

There are 25 windows in Liberty's crown. They are a symbol of the number of gemstones found in the world. Theseven points or rays on the crown represent the continents and the seven seas. The tablet in her left hand has July 4,1776 written in Roman numerals. Under her feet is a broken shackle to show that Liberty crushes slavery.

When the statue was restored between 1984 and 1986, they made some changes. Perhaps the most important wasthe torch. It was designed to be lit from the outside, but it had been changed in 1892. During the renovation, theychanged it back to the way it was meant to be. The copper flame was covered with a layer of gold. Spot lights wereplaced to shine on the gold and making it glow even at night.

When they made the statue, they used between 62,000 and 179,000 pounds of copper for the outside. Each pieceof the copper is 3/32 of an inch thick. To support the copper, there is a frame of steel on the inside. To keep herstraight and strong, even during storms, they used 250,000 pounds of steel. When the wind blows 50 miles perhour, it will cause the whole statue to sway 3" from side to side.

In 1903, a brass plate was added to the inside of the base. On it were the words of the poem, "A New Colossus,"by Emma Lazarus. So many people associated it with the statue and the dream of liberty, that they belongedtogether. Even the island on which the statue stands, renamed Liberty Island.

When they dedicated the Statue of Liberty, she was taller than any other structure in the city. Now there are manybuildings which are taller than she is, but none of them are as well loved.


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Lady Liberty

Questions

1. Which of these is not one of the three main parts of the Statue of Liberty?

A. TorchB. PedestalC. StatueD. Base

2. The head of the Statue of Liberty is almost as tall as which of the following?

A. A busB. A houseC. A carD. A school

3. What do the 25 windows in Liberty's crown stand for?

4. What do the seven rays on Liberty's crown stand for?

5. What does lady Liberty have under her feet?

A. A broken shackleB. GrassC. A snakeD. A broken crown

6. Is the torch lit from the inside or the outside?

7. What covers the torch flame to make it gleam yellow?


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8. How fast does the wind have to blow to make the statue move three inches from side to side?

9. What was the name of the poem about the Statue of Liberty?

What do you think of when you see a picture of the Statue of Liberty?


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CurlingBy Jane Runyon

Curling is a sport that most Americans are unfamiliar with. You will find that itis a very popular sport in Canada, our neighbor. It is a very old sport. Manypeople in Scotland curled in the 1500's. Paintings exist of early Dutch peasantscurling.

A curling competition was held in the 1924 Olympics. It didn't become anofficial Olympic event until 1998. Curling is called a people's sport. Men, women,children, young, old, and even physically impaired people can participate in thesport.

A curling arena is a sheet of ice that is perfectly level. The official arena is 146feet long and 14 feet 2 inches wide. Fine droplets of water are sprayed onto the iceto create pebbles. These pebbles create friction for the game stone.

The stone, or rock, can weigh no more than 44 pounds. It has a handle on top.The bottom caves in so that just the very outside edge of the stone touches the ice.A team member will turn the handle either to the right or left to send it on its waydown the ice.

The object of the game is to slide the stone to the opposite end of the ice. Three circles are painted in the ice.The three circles are inside each other. They look much like a target. The teams want to rotate the stone and slideit with just enough speed to reach the circles.

There are four people on each curling team. Each team competes with another four person team. Each personon the team has the opportunity to slide the stone twice in each end, or playing period. Each person has a job todo in each end. One player is called the lead. The second and third players are called vice skips, or mates. Thefinal player is the captain, or skip.

While the first player is sliding the rock, the skip is at the far end of the arena guiding the play. The secondand third players will be on the arena ice with brooms. They use these special brooms to sweep the surface of theice. They are trying to make sure that the rock stays on course and reaches its destination. Sweeping the ice canalter the friction between the rock and the ice. Each team takes a turn at each job.

Special shoes are required in order to play this sport. One of the shoes is called a glider. There is a thinsurface of Teflon on the bottom of this shoe to allow the player to slide effortlessly. A slip-on gripper can beplaced on this shoe when the player doesn't wish to slide. Another shoe has a rough surface on the sole. It ismade to give the player better traction on the ice.

Scoring takes place after each person has slid two stones. A point is given to the team which has gotten itsrock closest to the button, or center, of the circles. A point is also given to that team for every rock they havecloser to the button than the opponent. If a rock stops outside the largest of the rings, it will not count, even if it iscloser than an opponent's rock. An even number of ends must be played. Local teams usually play eight ends.Large tournaments and the Olympics call for ten ends. There are many rules and several strategies involved intrying to win a curling match.

The sport of curling has spread throughout the world. You can find teams in the United States, Europe, Asia,Australia, and New Zealand. Special equipment to slide the rock without bending over is allowed. This makescurling a popular sport with older people and people with physical disabilities.


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Curling

Questions

1. Curling is played on ice.

A. FalseB. True

2. Where is it thought that curling began?

A. EuropeB. North AmericaC. AsiaD. Africa

3. What do curlers aim for?

A. A targetB. Another playerC. A netD. A basket

4. Why is curling called a sport of the people?

5. Why do you think players sweep the ice in front of the rock?

6. What is the captain of a curling team called?

A. MateB. SkipC. LeadD. Vice Skip

7. What does a player use to glide the rock down the ice?

A. A buttonB. A hammerC. A broomD. A handle

8. Would it be possible for a team to score eight points in an end?

A. NoB. Yes

NameThursday, October 29

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Being DeafBy Phyllis Naegeli

Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? There are many things we hear all thetime. Now imagine you can't hear these sounds. That is what it is like to be deaf. A deafperson can't hear. But how does this happen? How do we hear?

The ear is amazing. You know how sound waves enter your ear through the ear canal.They hit the eardrum and make it move. Then three small bones called the hammer,anvil, and stirrup pass the sound to the cochlea. Inside the cochlea are tiny little hairsthat move. The cochlea is attached to nerves. These nerves take the sound to the brain.The brain tells you what you hear.

Deafness can be caused by illness or injury. A baby may be born deaf. Listening to loudsounds can damage your hearing. Many things can cause deafness. If part of the eardoesn't work, a person is usually deaf. Doctors do what they can to help. Sometimesthey can fix the problem. Eardrums are repaired. The small bones in the ear can bereplaced. Hearing aids also help deaf people. Hearing aids amplify sound. Some types ofhearing aids can be placed under the skin. When there is no cure, there is help.

Being deaf is a disability. It can be lonely. It's hard to learn to talk. Many years ago, people didn't understanddeafness. People thought deaf people weren't smart. Deaf people did the noisy, boring factory jobs. People thoughtit would be O.K. because they couldn't hear the noise. In the 1800s and early 1900s, schools stopped deaf childrenfrom using sign language. Instead, they went to speech class. This was very hard on them. Children couldn't learnto read or write. Thankfully, all this has changed.

Today, there are special schools for the deaf. They learn sign language. Some learn to read lips. They learn to talk,read, and write. Now they can communicate. This makes the world less lonely.

Deaf people can do almost everything you can do. They are just as smart as hearing people. Deaf people havebecome writers and actors. They are lawyers and teachers. Others may be artists, scientists, or computerprogrammers. Deafness doesn't need to stop a person from being a success.

Some deaf people have become famous. Beethoven became deaf at age 48. He still wrote beautiful music. Edisonlost his hearing as a boy. It didn't stop him from inventing over 1,000 things. Heather Whitestone was MissAmerica in 1995. Ballet was her talent. And, in her speech she told children that "anything is possible."

In the last one hundred years, many things have changed. People who know sign language help in public places.There are special phones that use typed words. There are alarm clocks that vibrate or use flashing lights.Televisions have the words for shows on the screen. E-mail and faxes are very helpful to the deaf. There are evenguide dogs trained to hear for their deaf owner. Hearing aids are improving. Research is ongoing. In HeatherWhitestone's words, "anything is possible."


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Being Deaf

Questions

1. What does the word "amplify" mean?

A. to motivateB. to increaseC. to lessenD. to remove

2. Which part of the ear is attached to nerves to the brain?

A. the anvilB. the ear canalC. the cochleaD. the eardrum

3. Deaf people learn to use ______ language so they can talk to others.

A. simpleB. signC. signalD. song

4. Which of the following is a way doctors can fix some hearing problems?

A. replacing the bones in the earB. fixing eardrumsC. cochlear implantsD. all of the aboveE. none of the above

5. People who are deaf are just as smart as people who can hear.

A. trueB. false

6. Which of the following is not a part of the ear?

A. anvilB. stirrupC. tibiaD. canal

7. Dogs can be trained to help deaf people.

A. falseB. true

8. All people who are deaf were born unable to hear.

A. trueB. false


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A Hard ChoiceBy Colleen Messina

"Can you play basketball after school?" Ben asked Michael as they got booksfrom their lockers. It was a gorgeous fall day, and the basketball court was ontheir way home from school. Ben's freckled face was full of smiles, and hishair matched the orange autumn leaves. The weather was crisp, cool, andperfect for sports. Both friends loved to play basketball.

"No, I can't today. I have to go to the food bank," said Michael. He was sorryhe couldn't play, but it was his day to volunteer.

"Is that really worth it? Seems like a waste to me, no offense," said Ben. "Weare going to practice for the game on Friday night." The neighborhood washaving a basketball game. Ben was Michael's best friend, and they were bothon the same team.

"Maybe I can play tomorrow. I'll be at the game, though," said Michael.

After school, Michael walked to the food bank. It was a big building thatlooked like a barn. The outside of the barn looked like the produce section of the grocery store because an aspiringlocal artist had covered the wall with pictures of luscious purple grapes, orange pumpkins, and crisp salad fixings.No one could miss the food bank. That was the whole idea behind the mural.

Local grocery stores donated the food, and Michael and other volunteers shelved it by category. Canned soup wasin one section, dry foods in another, while fresh produce sat in bins outside. A huge rack held day-old muffins,breads, and cakes. Behind the rack was Jessica's office. She was the supervisor who interviewed people before theygot the food they needed. Michael picked up his volunteer badge and then went over to start sorting boxes. Jessicasmiled and handed him a card as he went by.

"It's an invitation to the volunteer banquet on Friday night. I could use your help serving food!" Jessica said.

"Thanks," said Michael, and he turned to do his work. He sipped a root beer soda and nibbled on chocolate chipcookies while he filled a food order.

Michael's friends teased him that he only helped to get some free treats, but Michael knew better than that.Michael sorted cans of soup, piles of vegetables, and dried foods for three hours every Tuesday. He also filledorders for the food boxes that people received. They were always grateful, which made Michael feel good.However, this week, he wanted to play basketball. Now the volunteer banquet was on the same night as his game!What should he do?

Soon Michael was distracted from his problem.

"Hey Michael, let's make a stack of boxes," said Steven, another volunteer. They took turns throwing boxes into ahuge, wobbly pile. The pile reached up to the ceiling. Of course, when Jessica came by, the pile fell. Michael andSteven spent the rest of their shift cleaning up boxes. There was never a lack of things to do at the food bank!

Soon Michael's shift was over, and he walked slowly home. It was almost dinnertime. Ben rode up on his BMXbike, then skidded and screeched to a halt.

"Hey, Michael, you missed a great practice today!" Ben called. "We came up with some great moves for thegame!"

Michael walked up his creaky front steps, went inside, and turned on the T.V. He didn't know what to do about thebanquet. He would rather play ball, but Jessica was counting on him. In addition, his friends already teased him


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about his work at the Food Bank. What would they say if he didn't show up for the game?

By Friday, Michael had made his choice. Michael raced home from school and did his homework. By 5:00, he hadtaken a shower, and was ready to go out.

"Have a winning night," called Mr. Springer, who was slumped in a post-workweek lump on the sagging sofa. Abowl of salsa and tortilla chips was on the table nearby.

Michael nodded and went out the door. He felt good about his choice and ended up having a fantastic evening.Later, as the dusky shadows lengthened, he came back and joined his dad on the sofa. In the white glow of eveningtelevision, Michael described his winning night.

"Sounds like you had a good time," observed Mr. Springer. He liked to talk to Michael about his day, but he onlyhad energy for television at night.

"Sure, Dad, it was neat. Jessica gave certificates to all the volunteers, and the people we helped gave us a card.They all wrote about how much they appreciated us!" said Michael.

He knew he had made the right choice.

A Hard Choice

Questions

1. What was on the mural on the outside of the food bank?

A. flowersB. metal sidingC. foodD. red barn siding

2. Why was there a mural on the side of the food bank?

A. the story does not sayB. to support a local artistC. to help people find the food bankD. to look beautiful

3. What was Michael's friends' attitude toward his volunteer work?

A. supportiveB. gratefulC. mockingD. ambivalent

4. Which activities did Michael do at the food bank? Check all that apply.

A. interview peopleB. assemble food boxesC. coordinate banquetsD. sort donations


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5. What is the meaning of the word, "produce," in paragraph 6?

A. fruits and vegetablesB. spaghettiC. separateD. create

6. What did some of Michael's friends say was the reason he volunteered?

A. to meet peopleB. to gain statusC. to get out of sports practicesD. to get free treats

7. What did Jessica expect Michael to do at the banquet?

A. serve foodB. give a speechC. hand out certificatesD. clear dishes

8. Why did Michael have a "winning night"?

A. He felt appreciated at the food bank.B. He ate delicious food at the banquet.C. They rescheduled the basketball game.D. His dad gave him good advice.

NameFriday, October 30

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The Real Toy StoryBy Joyce Furstenau

Have you ever wondered how some of your toys were created?Behind every toy or game is an interesting story. One toy got its startas wallpaper cleaner. Another was created when a large spring gotaccidentally knocked from a shelf. A game was created in an attemptto create a gimmick to sell shoe polish. Each of these toys has a realstory behind its invention. Knowing the real toy story might help youunderstand a part of history as well.

When the Slinky was created, it began as a goof up. It was a testthat didn't work. In 1945, a man named Richard James was working ina Philadelphia shipyard. He was hired by the Navy to make astabilizing device for the instruments on its ships. When a ship is at sea,it plunges and rocks in all directions. The Navy needed a device to keep the instruments level. Richard thoughtsprings in some form might do the trick.

He experimented with all different sizes and lengths of springs. None of them worked. Each failure wasplaced on the shelf beside the last. One day, Richard accidentally knocked a spring off the shelf. Instead ofbouncing or plopping on the floor, he noticed the spring appeared to be almost walking. It crept from the shelf toa stack of books, to a desktop, and then a chair, and onto the floor. When it reached the floor, it sprang back intoplace. He tried it several more times. It did the same thing each time.

Richard brought it home and showed it to his wife. It was his wife who thought his magic spring would be agreat toy. She spent two days trying to come up with a name for it. She and Richard finally decided upon"Slinky."

The following year, Richard and his wife borrowed enough money to have four hundred Slinkys made. Theydid not have much success selling them at first. Finally, they took the toy to Gimbel's department store inPhiladelphia. They set up a demonstration of their new toy. Within ninety minutes, all four hundred of the toyswere sold out.

When was the last time you squeezed your fingers into ball of brightly colored Play-Doh? This well knownform of modeling clay originally came in only white. It actually got its start as wallpaper cleaner. Joe McVickerwas working for his father's chemical company when he created the white, puttylike substance. He wasn't evensure what it would be good for, so he tried it out on some wallpaper smudges in his father's office. It worked.His father tried to sell it under the name "Magic Wallpaper Cleaner." Sales were slow, and few people wereinterested in the cleaner.

One day, Joe was talking with his sister-in-law on the phone. She was a pre-school teacher in New Jersey.She complained to Joe that the modeling clay she tried to use in her classroom was too hard. When she addedwater, it was too messy. Joe thought of the wallpaper cleaning substance. It was a lot like clay. He sent hissister-in-law several packages of the non-toxic wallpaper cleaner. It was a hit. McVicker realized he had found abetter purpose for his wallpaper cleaner.

He changed the name of his substance to Magic Clay. Joe demonstrated his clay at a large educationalconvention. Before long, toy stores heard about his Magic Clay. They began ordering it, too. In 1956, theinvention was re-named Play-Doh. It is sold in many bright colors today, but you can still find the original whitecolor, too.

Have you ever gotten all twisted up with your friends in a game of Twister? In the 1960's, the PillsburyCompany asked Reyn Geyer to come up with an advertising gimmick to help sell shoe polish. They wantedsomething like a coupon that could be cut out of the newspaper. Kids would send them their coupons plus a dollarand receive a gift in the mail. They wanted Reyn to think up the idea for a gift.


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He thought about colored patches that kids could stick to their shoes. This led to his creation of a large,life-sized board with different colored circles on it. Each child wearing a different colored patch on his shoeswould have a matching color on the board. When it was her turn, she would have to put a foot on one color and ahand on another without falling. He tried it with eight people in the office. Before long, the players were alltangled up and howling with laughter.

Reyn realized he had invented a new game for both children and adults. He presented his idea to the MiltonBradley toy company. They bought it and changed the name to Twister. It still wasn't very popular until May 3,1966, when Johnny Carson and Eva Gabor tried it on the Tonight Show. Both the guests and the audience loved it.By the end of that year, over three million games had been sold. There was even a Twister Marathon in 1980 atthe University of Massachusetts.

There are many, many more toy stories behind the toys and games you play with. Some were createdcenturies ago and others within the last few years. You might be able to find the real story behind the toys orgames you play with in your local library or on the Internet. Do you know any other real toy stories?

The Real Toy Story

Questions

1. Which toy started out as a tool to fix naval instruments?

A. Silly PuttyB. the Hula HoopC. Play-DohD. the Slinky

2. Which toy was first invented as wallpaper cleaner?

A. Play-DohB. CrayolasC. Silly PuttyD. Magic Markers

3. Which game started as an idea to help sell shoe polish?

A. ChessB. TwisterC. CheckersD. Wheel of Fortune

4. Who invented the game of Twister?

A. the Pillsbury DoughboyB. Johnny CarsonC. Eva GaborD. Reyn Geyer

5. What was Play-doh called when it first came out as modeling clay?

A. Magic MarkerB. Magic ClayC. Play-dohD. Pork & Beans


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6. How many Slinkys were sold after the first demonstration at Gimbel's Department Store?

A. four hundredB. five hundredC. one thousandD. one hundred

Name DateFriday, October 30

Winter PlansWritten by Joyce Furstenau

Winter break was starting. A foot of snow had fallen earlier in the week. Jackie planned asledding party for Saturday. She invited three of her close friends to her party. A plate of toastedcheese sandwiches, chili, and hot chocolate was prepared for her guests after a day of sledding.The sleds had been cleaned and waxed. It would be a great kick-off to winter break, and Jackiecouldn't wait.

An early phone call on Saturday morning brought disappointment. Jackie's friend Beth was sickand couldn't come. Jackie told Beth she was sorry to hear she was sick. She suggested they try toget together after she got well.

An hour later she got another phone call. This time Sarah and Sally, her twin friends, had tocancel. A surprise visit from their grandparents meant they had to change their plans. Jackie saidshe understood, but she really didn't. Jackie was upset. She and her mother had gone to a lot ofwork. Everything was ready. All her preparations were for nothing. Jackie tried to hold back tears,but she was so disappointed that she began to cry. How would you react?

How would you react?1. Why do you think Jackie was so upset?

2. Why is it so disappointing when our plans fall apart?

3. Describe a situation when you planned an event and something happened that was out of yourcontrol causing you to change your plans.

4. Jackie will have to change her plans. What are some options for Jackie's day?

Name DateFriday, October 30 Winter Plans

5. What if Jackie invited three new friends to come over and go sledding? Do you think it wouldmake her old friends mad if they found out she invited three other people instead of postponingthe party?

6. Jackie asked her mother for some ideas. What do you think her mother suggested?

7. What if Jackie couldn't find any kids that were free to sled on Saturday? What should Jackie dowith all the food? How would you suggest she spend the day if she cannot find other friends whocan come over?

8. What if Jackie ended up being sad all day? What if she moped around and didn't even go outsideto play in the snow and ate the cheese sandwiches herself? Why do you think Jackie wouldchoose to mope around rather than ask other children to go sledding? What would you dodifferently?


A poem by Robert Burns contains a reference to plans that have gone wrong. The narrator of the poemis plowing his field when he cuts through a mouse nest. The meaning suggested is that even when youmean no harm and have good intentions, you can destroy somebody else's well-laid plans. Do youthink Jackie's friends had a choice in ruining her plans? Do you think Beth was really sick? Do youthink the twins could have left their grandparents for a day without ruining their plans? Do you think itwas wrong for Jackie to have planned a party with the chance things might not turn out as planned?


Will Rogers once said, "Plans get you into things, but you gotta work your own way out." What doyou think this means? Some people say that being fearful of the future can prevent you from enjoyingthe present. Do you think it is possible to make plans that NEVER go wrong? How could Jackie makeplans for a sledding party without risking the possibility that some of her friends might cancel at thelast minute? Have you ever had to cancel plans to attend another person's party? How did this changeyour planning strategy for your next event?


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What's on TV?By Patti Hutchison

"Oh, darn!" Sandy said, as she turned on the TV. "I missed my favoriteshow again!"

"Why don't you look at the TV listings so you know when it's on?" askedMatt.

"I've tried, but they're so confusing," Sandy told him.

"Let me try to help you understand them," Matt offered. "Maybe then youwon't miss the shows you like."

"That would be great!" Sandy said.

They turned to the TV listings in their local newspaper. Matt admitted that it was a big, confusing chart. But hehelped Sandy make sense of it.

Matt pointed to the column on the left. He told Sandy that the different TV channels were listed in that column.There were numbers and letters. Matt said that the numbers were mostly the local channels. Every city usually hasat least three local TV stations. This is where they broadcast shows on the big three networks.

"They are ABC, NBC, and CBS," Matt told Sandy. "These channels are free."

He also told Sandy that this is where she would find her local news shows. He went on to talk about the otherletters in the left hand column. He said they were channels you could get on cable or with a dish. He said peopledon't usually get all the channels listed. "You only get the ones you pay for," Matt said.

"Oh, I have basic cable," said Sandy. She pointed out the channels she received.

"Okay, I get the stuff about the channels," Sandy said, "But what about the other stuff in this big chart?"

Matt pointed to the top of the chart. "This is where the times are printed. Most programs are either a half-hour oran hour long. Movies and other special programs are sometimes more than an hour long." He showed Sandy howthe times were marked of in half-hours across the top of the chart.

"It's all these bars in the middle of the chart I really don't understand," Sandy told him.

"What's your favorite show?" Matt asked her.

"CSI."

Matt told her that the bars told what program was on at what time. "Let's look for CSI." They scanned the chartand found the bar that had "CSI" in it. Matt put his finger on the beginning of it. Then he ran it up the chart until hecame to the times at the top. He explained that the beginning of the "CSI" bar was under where 9:00 begins on thetime bar. He said you could tell that it ends at 10:00 because the end of the "CSI" bar was under that number.

Then he put his finger on the bar that listed "CSI" again. This time he dragged it over to the channel column of thechart. He told Sandy that the program was on CBS. It was on her local channel 8.

"So now you know how to find what time and channel your favorite programs are on," Matt said.

"What if I'm bored and just want to know what's on when I sit down to watch?" Sandy asked.


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Matt told her to find the time at the top. "For example, let's say you sit down to watch TV at eight o'clock. Put yourfinger on the 8:00 and drag it down the chart. If the beginning bar of a listing is in that column, you'll know whatstarts at eight. When you find something that looks interesting, move to the left and see what channel it's on." Mattexplained.

He went on to tell Sandy some more about TV listings. He said that sometimes they told what the title of theepisode was. They also might give a sentence telling what the show is about. It might also tell if it is a new show ora repeat.

He told Sandy that there are other places to find TV listings. He said they are in some magazines, too. "Theymight look a little different in there," he said. They sometimes have the times in bold print and then just list thechannels and names of the programs under each time. He showed her an example in a magazine.

"What's this 'con't' beside NCIS at 8:30?" Sandy asked.

"That means 'continued'," Matt told her. "It tells you that the show lasts longer than a half-hour. The same show isstill on at 8:30."

Matt told Sandy that sometimes there is a special channel on the TV gives TV listings, also. Sandy was surprised.

Matt and Sandy continued practicing how to find what's on TV. After a little while Sandy said, "I really get thisnow. It's not so hard. Thanks for your help, Matt."

Matt smiled. "Now you'll never miss your favorite show again."

What's on TV?

Questions

1. Name two places you can find TV listings.

2. The times are listed ______.

A. along the bottomB. at the top

3. Local channels are ______.

A. paid forB. free

4. You can use the TV listings to find ______.

A. who won the baseball gameB. the time and channel a show is on

5. If you see "con't" in a TV listing, it means ______.

A. continuedB. stopped

NameMonday, November 2

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A Changing WorkforceBy Cathy Pearl

Factories drew people to cities. These people came from all over thecountry and all over the world. The chance to go to work drew people tothis country.

Between 1860 and 1900, about fourteen million people came to thiscountry. Other countries in the world were struggling. The United Stateswas growing. All of these workers were needed to help the new factoriesrun.

Most of the immigrants came from Germany, Ireland, and England inthe 1870s and 1880s. This is where many immigrants came from before the Civil War started. But immigrantswere also coming from other countries like China.

There were only so many people in this country who could go to work. More immigration was needed so therewould be more workers. A law passed in 1864 let employers and immigrants agree to a contract. The employerwould pay for a person or a family to immigrate to this country. In return, the immigrants had to work for a certaintime to pay back the money.

More people who used to be farmers also moved to the cities. About sixty percent of the workforce worked onfarms in 1860. Forty years later less than forty percent of the work force still worked on farms. The rest worked infactories.

Workers left farms for many different reasons. There were droughts in part of the country. Farmers had tostruggle. Prices for what they were growing started to drop. Few farmers made enough money to make ends meet.Work in a factory seemed easier than work on a farm.

Workers did not need to be skilled to work in a factory. Children quit school and went to work as young as eight.Women who needed to earn money for their families also went to work. Workers like these who lacked skills couldbe paid less money. Women and children were paid less than men. Immigrants were paid less than men born in theUnited States.

People working in factories soon learned that one person could not make enough money to feed his or her wholefamily. More and more members of the family had to go to work. For some families, it meant sending youngchildren to work or going hungry.

If someone in the family who worked became sick or injured, children as young as seven would have to go towork. It was either do that or go hungry. Girls would quit school and get a job so their brothers could stay inschool.

This new workforce found that working in factories was not as easy as they thought it would be. Factory workersfaced hard and dangerous jobs. The work was boring. The noise was so loud that some workers went deaf. Therewere a lot of fires and accidents. In 1882, an average of 675 workers were killed on the job each week.

With the jobs being so dangerous it would seem like workers would be hard to find. They weren't. With theincreased number of immigrants coming to this country, there was always someone else willing to do the job.

Factory workers soon started fighting for better working conditions. Their struggle led to better workingconditions for all Americans.


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A Changing Workforce

Questions

1. Which factory workers were paid the most money?

A. WomenB. MenC. Children

2. One person working in a factory made enough to take care of the whole family.

A. FalseB. True

3. Name three countries that immigrants came from in the 1870s and 1880s.

4. Why did farmers leave their farms and go to work in factories?

A. There were droughts.B. Farmers were paid less for what they grew.C. Both A and B

5. On average, how many workers were killed each week in 1872?

6. Why were many factory jobs dangerous?

A. Workers worked short hours.B. There were fires.C. Business owners took good care of their workers.


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Tulip, the True-Blue KangarooBy Joyce Furstenau

Tulip was a blue kangaroo. Tulip did not look like the other kangaroos in herschool. Besides being blue, Tulip wore shoes and brought a suitcase to school.Tulip knew she was special because she was blue.

At noon, Tulip saw the popular group of gray and brown kangaroos eating lunch.She started to sit beside them, but Julie Kangaroo said, "Sorry, Tulip. There's noroom for you here!" Tulip saw that there was room for at least three more at thetable. Tulip did not want to argue with Julie. She sat in her usual spot on a stool bythe broom closet. She ate her soup and listened to music on her Bluetooth.

Tulip didn't really care what the other kangaroos thought. She knew she wasspecial because she was blue. Tulip was always in a good mood. She wouldn't letthe rude kangaroos ruin her day. Tulip finished her lunch and then went to musicclass.

In music class, Tulip had true-blue friends. True-blue friends are friends who careabout you no matter what color you are on any particular day. There was EdnaEmu who played the bassoon. There was Bobby Baboon who played the tuba, and Gary Gnu who played the bugle.All the students in music class were nice to Tulip. The music teacher, Mr. Zebu, was amazing. Mr. Zebu seemed tobring out the best music in every one of his students.

Tulip played the flute. When she played, the melodies seemed to flow like dandelion seeds floating on a breeze.Tulip loved music class, too.

When Mr. Zebu directed the orchestra, all kinds of beautiful music could be heard. The school orchestra began towin music contests. They were invited to play at the awards banquet for the school. Tulip played flute solos inthree numbers. The audience noticed Tulip, too. They noticed her because she made her flute sound so beautiful.When Tulip played, no one even noticed that she was a blue kangaroo.

When Tulip went to the lunchroom at noon on Tuesday, the gray and brown kangaroos asked Tulip to eat lunchwith them. Tulip was now an important student in the school, and Julie wanted Tulip to be her friend. This time,however, Edna, Bobby, and Gary were eating lunch at her table next to the broom closet. Tulip looked at Edna,Bobby, and Gary, and then back at Julie and her friends. Tulip knew exactly what to do. She said, "I'm sorry, Julie.My friends are waiting for me over there," and she went over to sit with her friends from music. You see, Tulipwas not only a blue kangaroo; she was a true blue kangaroo.

Tulip, the True-Blue Kangaroo

Questions

1. Why was Tulip different than the other kangaroos?

A. Tulip had a tail.B. Tulip had two eyes.C. Tulip was blue.D. Tulip had a pouch.


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2. What did Julie and her friends do to Tulip?

A. Julie told Tulip the truth about her room.B. Julie was nice to Tulip.C. Julie lied to Tulip about having no room.D. Julie played a tune for Tulip.

3. What kind of friends are true-blue friends?

A. friends who are blueB. friends who care about you once in a blue moonC. friends who care about you no matter whatD. friends who don't care

4. What instrument did Tulip play in the orchestra?

A. Tulip played the flute.B. Tulip played the tuba.C. Tulip played the fiddle.D. Tulip played the bassoon.

5. Why did the audience notice Tulip in the concert?

A. The audience noticed Tulip's beautiful blue color.B. The audience noticed Tulip's beautiful pouch.C. The audience noticed Tulip's beautiful flute music.D. The audience noticed Tulip's beautiful face.

6. How did Tulip teach Julie about friendship?

A. Tulip was true to her friends and not just interested in being popular.B. Tulip didn't want to eat lunch with her friends from music.C. Tulip ignored her friends to become popular.D. Tulip wanted to change color so she could be popular.

NameTuesday, November 3

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A Horn of PlentyBy Colleen Messina

Thanksgiving has many symbols. A cornucopia (kor-nuh-koh-pee-uh) is used often. It is shaped like a horn. It is also called a "hornof plenty." This is because it is full of food. People used to use a goat'shorn. It was used at harvest festivals. It was a symbol of abundance, orplenty. They filled it with grains, flowers, and fruit. Today, smallorange pumpkins can be in a horn of plenty. Fat purple grapes can bethere, too. Yellow wheat can stick out here and there. Rosy apples fit inwell. They smell so good! A horn of plenty is fun to have on a holidaytable. What special food would you want to put in yours?

A Horn of Plenty

Questions

1. What kind of horn used to be used for a cornucopia?

A. a cow's hornB. a goat's hornC. a deer antlerD. none of the above

2. What does a cornucopia symbolize?

A. a goatB. flowersC. Santa ClausD. abundance

3. What is put in a cornucopia?

A. puppiesB. silverwareC. loose changeD. food

4. A cornucopia is also called a horn of ______.


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A Letter from LaysanBy Mary Lynn Bushong

"Mac," said Mom, "you got a letter from Liz. It's postmarkedHawaii."

Mac almost grabbed the letter from his Mom. He loved gettingletters from his sister Liz. She got to see many different places withthe Fish and Wildlife Service, and he loved the stories she told. Hebegan reading.

Dear Mac, We arrived on Laysan Island today. You may not know that it is

one of the Hawaiian Islands. It is nearly 800 miles northwest ofHonolulu by boat, which is the only way to reach it. I thought a coupleof times that we would never get here.

It was tricky getting around the island reef, but we are finally here. We spent the last few hours unloading the ship.No one lives on the island, so we had to bring anything we might need.

I got my tent set up but still have a few things to arrange. I wish you could see this place. It's a small island about amile wide and two miles long, with a salty lagoon in the middle of it.

What is really impressive are all of the birds. There are all kinds of sea birds-boobies, frigate birds, petrels, terns,and shearwaters. I know you may not find those too interesting, but there is another one you might like; it's a duckcalled the Laysan teal.

I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to come on this survey because these are the rarest ducks in the world.Once they lived all up and down the Hawaiian Island chain. When people came to the islands, they brought rats,pigs, and other animals. Eventually they killed all the ducks on the islands they shared.

How are those ducks of yours doing? They are much larger than these little dibblers. Laysans are very smallducks, and they have that purple-blue wing patch like a mallard has.

I've been reading up on these ducks. Years ago they were thought to be mallards that got stuck here and changed.Now they think that it was a common ancestor of the mallard and the Laysan.

The Laysans act different from regular ducks. If they are afraid, they don't run or fly away. They sit very still. Thisworks against their enemy, the frigate birds, but not against animals. That's probably why they died out wherevermen lived.

Laysans also prefer to be on land. Isn't that funny? Imagine a duck that is just as happy to walk as to swim.

When we took a little walk after supper, I took my binoculars with me. I saw some ducks trying to catch brineflies. I thought I was going to laugh out loud watching them. They would come up close to where these flies couldbe found, stretch out their necks with their heads close to the ground, and start running. The flies would rise upahead of them, and those ducks would try to snap up every possible fly.

Tomorrow we start a survey of these ducks here. We think there are 200-300 of them, but you never know whatwill happen.

Another colony was started on another island, and they are doing really well. It gives us hope that the Laysan duckmight be around for future generations.

I will try to make sure this goes with the ship to be mailed. It would be better if we had Internet access, but the


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post will do. I'll try to get some pictures of the Laysans for you. Think of me when you go out to see your ducks.

Love, Liz</i>

Mac put the letter down. Then he shouted.

"Mom," asked Mac, "what do I have to learn to get a job like Liz's?"

A Letter from Laysan

Questions

1. Laysan Island belongs to which state?

A. MichiganB. HawaiiC. AlaskaD. Florida

2. What natural barrier made it hard to land on the island?

A. ReefB. MountainsC. SandbarD. Volcano

3. The survey crew stayed on the ship.

A. FalseB. True

4. The island had thousands of song birds.

A. FalseB. True

5. The Laysan duck would sit still when danger came.

A. FalseB. True

6. What is a lagoon?

A. A dry lakeB. A pondC. A bayD. A river

7. What is a natural enemy of the Laysan duck?

A. The ratB. The petrelC. The frigate birdD. The pig


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8. Laysan ducks hunt flies by running and snapping at them.

A. TrueB. False

What would it be like to work for the Fish and Wildlife Service?

Name Date - Burlington County Institute of Technology...Heather Whitestone was Miss America in 1995....

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